Chrome or something else?
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Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Fletcher North Carolina
Chrome or something else?
I'm considering buying wheels for my AE coupe, which is a semi-daily driver. I like the look of chrome, but I'm wondering if they would look really bad if I wasn't able to clean them every few days, y'know, brake dust and all. And the barrels are hard to reach also. Would I be sorry for choosing chrome? Also, I think the reproduction (want to use my nearly new Michelin's, so need stock size wheels) Z06 Motorsport wheels look really good, but what about those bolt heads? Am I asking for rust to start around them? Thanks, guys; just want to do this right the first time!
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I have had chrome - which I thought were pretty easy to take care of. I quick wipe with either Quick Detailer or (believe it or not) glass cleaner kept them looking really sharp. You can even dedicate a California duster for the wheels and dust them off.
Periodically I would take them off and give them a really deep cleaning and treat them with whatever wax or protectant I was using - which helped keep them clean.
I now have clear coated polished aluminum. I don't use glass cleaner anymore for obvious reasons - but everything else still applies. The thing that I like about my wheels is that the barrel is finished the same way as the surface of the wheels. Some of the aftermarket wheels aren't finished that way, which makes keeping the barrels clean more of a challenge.
The wheels with the Allen head bolts really are a matter of taste - but I stayed away from them because I feared they would be dirt collectors and a PITA.....
Periodically I would take them off and give them a really deep cleaning and treat them with whatever wax or protectant I was using - which helped keep them clean.
I now have clear coated polished aluminum. I don't use glass cleaner anymore for obvious reasons - but everything else still applies. The thing that I like about my wheels is that the barrel is finished the same way as the surface of the wheels. Some of the aftermarket wheels aren't finished that way, which makes keeping the barrels clean more of a challenge.
The wheels with the Allen head bolts really are a matter of taste - but I stayed away from them because I feared they would be dirt collectors and a PITA.....
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Chrome will look great on your car, and with just a little car, will last a long, long time. You don't have to clean them every day but obviously wouldn't leave them dirty for an extended period. And a really good coat of wax will help protect them.
